Operation Lactation

There is a patron saint for absolutely everything, so I was curious to know: who is the patron saint of breastfeeding? I was expecting a holy woman who was the mother of a huge brood of holy children, so I was quite surprised to find out that a man is the patron saint of breastfeeding. The saints provide us with beautiful examples of living a holy life and words of wisdom to draw us closer to God. I wondered what wisdom and encouragement the patron saint of breastfeeding may be able to offer us, so let's learn a little bit about him. Introducing...Saint Giles!

As the story of many saints begin, Saint Giles was born in the mid-seventh century to a wealthy family in Athens. He was deeply devoted to God from the start, and he wanted to immerse himself fully into a life of prayer. In order to free himself from the distractions of the secular world, he went to live in the wilderness of France. Saint Giles found respite from distraction in a cave, and his sole companion was a deer. The legend says that Saint Giles survived by drinking the milk of the deer, and that is how he became the patron saint of breastfeeding.

The rest of his story goes like this...Unfortunately, Saint Giles was accidentally shot in the leg with an arrow when some royal hunters were pursuing his deer. When the king found out about the incident and of Saint Giles' holiness, he wished to shower him with honor and gifts. Of course, Saint Giles refused his offers, even refusing medical attention. Despite all his efforts to live as a hermit, word spread of miracles and his closeness with God, and people flocked to his cave. Legend says that Saint Giles did concede and become the abbot of a monastery to share his wisdom.

So what can Saint Giles teach us about breastfeeding? First of all, he proves the life-giving, miraculous power of breastmilk, having survived solely on the deer's milk himself. I would also suggest that Saint Giles held fast to his convictions and life choices even when presented with what would seem to be an easier way. Likewise, it can take real conviction to stick with breastfeeding if challenges arise, but I think Saint Giles would agree that it is worth it.

So now we know that we can ask Saint Giles to pray for us, especially if we need intercession for some breastfeeding troubles. You learn something new every day!

Peace, joy and blessings!